


today’s little moments

by LiveLaughLovex



Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: AU: Post Season 9 (Speculative), Christmas, F/M, Future Fic, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: “Today’s little moments become tomorrow’s precious memories.” -UnknownJamie and Eddie raise their son and learn some things about themselves along the way.





	1. happy and thankful people

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this to make up for the week’s lack of an episode. I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It is not happy people that are thankful; it is thankful people that are happy.” - Unknown 
> 
> Jamie and Eddie celebrate their son’s first Thanksgiving with the family.

Joseph Henry Reagan was born on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, just eleven months after his parents were wed. His first Sunday meal was served by his aunt and eldest cousin in his mother’s cramped hospital room. He spent most of it asleep in the arms of his grandfather, bundled up and full of breastmilk as he dreamed of his next meal with a gas-induced smile on his lips. A picture of the hero for which he was named sat on the tray in front of his mother, brought in by his uncle the moment he received confirmation of the newest family member’s name. The other Reagan whose namesake he served as sat next to the bed, a proud and beaming grin on his face as he stared down at his newest great-grandchild, the first the family had seen in more than a decade. It was as she watched her family meet her son that Eddie realized just how lucky she was to have the Reagans in her life. Danny teased her when he saw a lone tear trickle down her cheek. Eddie couldn’t even bring herself to mind it at all.

The baby’s first visit to his father’s childhood home occurred when he was five days old. The holiday was always a cheerful occasion in the Reagan household, but it was even more so this year. Erin and Nicky were the cooks in the kitchen. When Eddie offered to help, she was quickly sent to the living room.

“I remember what it’s like to have a baby,” Erin reminded her when she attempted to protest. “The last thing I wanted to do when Nicky was five years old was stand in a hot kitchen and cook. I’m not going to put you through that.” She shrugged with a smile when Eddie huffed. “Blame Mom. She’s the one who wouldn’t let me help when Nicky was only a few weeks old during her first Thanksgiving. I am simply carrying on the tradition.”

“You Reagans and your wacky traditions,” Eddie grumbled teasingly under her breath, heading into the den with the men despite her half-hearted protests.

Jamie and Joseph were already settled in on one of the sofas when she arrived. Her son’s fleece sleeper had been traded for jeans and the tiniest football jersey she’d ever seen. It was impossible not to melt at the sight of her little family as her husband patiently explained every play to their son as if he could understand it, Danny and Frank jumping in whenever they could with explanations of their own. Her son’s bright blue eyes were open as he rested in his father’s arms, as if he was trying to take it all in. It was the most precious thing she’d ever seen by far. The only reason tears didn’t prick her eyes was because she was too tired to sass her brother-in-law back if he broke out his good-natured teasing.

Jamie glanced away from the screen to smile up at her. “Hey, babe.”

“Hey.” She settled into the sofa beside him with a sleepy smile. “I was kicked out of the kitchen. Your sister told me I couldn’t help.”

“She and Ma did the same to Linda,” Danny assured her. “And Grandma did the same to Ma. It’s not new; don’t worry.” He flashed her a reassuring smile just as Joseph startled himself awake and began quietly fussing in Jamie’s arms.

“Oh, oh, oh,” Eddie cooed, carefully lifting the baby from her husband’s arms and shifting him in her own until his head rested against her chest. “I think he’s hungry,” she murmured to her husband. The sergeant immediately shot up from his seat to grab the diaper bag containing his son’s bottles and formula, leaving his family members to simply stare after him in amusement.

“We always said he’d be a great dad,” Henry commented quietly. “It looks like we were right.”

Eddie smiled, one hand stroking up and down her son’s small back. “You were,” she assured him. “He’s... I don’t want to say completely changed, because he’s always been one of the kindest people I know, but it’s different now. It’s more obvious now. He’s already such an amazing dad.” She smiled as she glanced at her father-in-law and then at his father. “He has a lot of really good role models when it comes to parenthood. I’m so glad we’re able to spend Joseph’s first Thanksgiving here with all of you.”

Both Frank and Henry smiled. Danny, of course, covered emotion with snark. “Being a mom’s made you emotional,” he commented after a moment.

Eddie chuckled at that. “It has,” she agreed without hesitation. “And I don’t mind it at all.”

The teasing continued back and forth for a while. By the time Jamie returned with the bottle, the room had erupted in laughter, and his wife looked every bit like a member of the family she’d long since become part of.

It was hours before the meal was served, but the family filled the time with laughter and conversation. The baby was handed back and forth between relatives until he finally fell asleep in the arms of his uncle. Once they were all gathered around the table, they said what they were most thankful for.

For most of them, the answers were repetitive. Erin was thankful for Nicky; Nicky was thankful for her family and friends. Danny was thankful for his boys and the time he’d had with Linda; the boys were thankful for him and the fact that Linda had been their mother. Eddie and Jamie were thankful for each other, Joseph, and bullet-proof vests. Henry was thankful for the meal, the company, and the opportunity to sit at the table for another year. But it was Frank’s that made everyone pause and consider entirely what the day was about.

“All of you, of course,” he answered. “And everyone else who’s sat at this table before you. Those who’ll sit at it after all of us. This year...” he shrugged in that way he always did. “This year, I’m most thankful for family.”

“Here, here,” Henry said, raising his glass in response to his son’s words. No one even hesitated to follow suit. Frank was right. Family was most important. And there was no better day than this to be thankful for that.


	2. let your heart be light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie and Eddie prepare for their first Christmas with baby Joseph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Joseph is honestly the most fun little character for me to write, so I’m glad some reviewers enjoyed him. I’ll probably write more for this in the future.

Jamie returned home from an early shift just past four o’clock in the afternoon to find his wife in the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist as she stirred something in a large mixing bowl. Joseph was awake and alert in his swing a few feet away, sucking contentedly on a pacifier with his big blue eyes focused raptly on the movements of his mother. It was by far the best sight the sergeant had ever come home to.

Eddie glanced away from her cookie mixture when she heard the door close behind him. “Hey,” she greeted cheerfully, adding in a cup of chocolate chips and then glancing back over at the recipe next to her. “How was work?”

Jamie pressed a kiss to her cheek and then let out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, you know, the usual. Just chasing half-naked, doped-out idiots around Central Park.” He rested his chin against her shoulder and then nodded to Joseph. “How about the two of you?”

“Oh, you know,” Eddie began, leaning back as she continued with her mixing, “we just had the best day. Eating, sleeping, eating some more. We were really living the dream, sweetheart, I’m tellin’ you.”

“That does sound like most of your dreams,” Jamie agreed as he bent down to unbuckle his son from the confines of his swing. “Hi, buddy,” he greeted softly, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “Are you helping Mama with the cookies?”

“Are you kidding? He’s been such a great little cheerleader,” Eddie responded as she scooped the dough into little balls and placed them on the baking tray. “I’m making a double batch,” she explained when he glanced at the large amount of dough still remaining once the tray was full. “I took pity on your brother. Sean’s Spanish teacher decided today that the class was going to have a party before Christmas break, and Danny was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to figure out how to get something made in time. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I told him I’d make enough for Sunday dinner and for Sean.”

“You’re an angel,” Jamie informed her seriously as he settled into a chair at the kitchen table with the baby propped up against his shoulder. “I hope they both realize that.”

“Yeah, well, let’s just thank God that it didn’t have to be an authentic dish, or they would’ve been out of luck. Cookies are pretty much the only dessert I never screw up.” Eddie opened the oven door and slid the tray inside, then closed it and set a timer.

Joseph began fussing in Jamie’s arms. A quick check of his diaper informed his father that that wasn’t the source of the boy’s distress, which meant he was either hungry or overtired. Eddie had mentioned a nap when he first came home, so Jamie assumed it was likely the former.

Eddie confirmed his assumptions when she began prepping a bottle at the sink. “He was actually supposed to eat something an hour ago, but he was having none of it,” she informed her husband as she finished testing the liquid’s temperature on her wrist and brought the bottle over. Jamie sat up straighter and then shifted his son so he was staring up at him before beginning the process of feeding him. “Refusing to eat at a reasonable time is definitely something he got from your side of the family. He certainly didn’t get it from mine.”

Jamie simply chuckled at that. They continued to talk quietly as Joseph finished up the bottle and was burped, chatting about their days and the upcoming holiday. Eddie had learned during her first Christmas with the Reagans that they treated the holiday as a weeklong affair. Celebrations started the day the final grandchild got off from school and lasted until the final gifts were opened on Christmas Day. There were plenty of masses to be attended and dishes to be made. It was a whole affair. After growing up the only child in a family that did little more than use the holiday as an excuse to try to buy her affection with lavish gifts whilst steadfastly refusing to even take note of the reason they were celebrating, it was a very refreshing thing for Eddie. She loved every minute of it.

Joseph snuggled into Jamie’s arms after having his full of formula. The little family moved over to the sofa, and Eddie leaned against her husband’s other arm, her eyelids flitting as she struggled to fight off sleep.

“You okay?” Jamie asked after a moment. “You should sleep, babe,” he suggested when she just nodded in response. “He keeps you up more at night than he does me.”

“I’m fine,” Eddie assured him. “I wouldn’t argue if we turned on a movie and just laid here until it’s time for bed, though.”

“We can do that,” Jamie agreed with a slight smile, hunting down some mindlessly cheerful movie on one of the Christmas channels and clicking on it. They settled in for the evening, only moving to grab the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the counter. It was one of the best nights they’d ever spent together, and, as she glanced down at her son just before taking Jamie’s advice and dosing off, Eddie was reminded once again just how truly lucky she was, this time of year and every other day as well.

 

 


	3. the best gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erin and Eddie bond over the nightmare that is wrapping Christmas presents two days before Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The best gift around the Christmas tree is family wrapped in love." - Unknown

Eddie sat on the floor of their apartment in Brooklyn Heights on the evening of December 23, staring at the unwrapped presents before her with no small amount of resentment as her newborn son slept peacefully in his cradle beside her. Jamie was out on the streets, fitting in a final shift to make sure he’d be off on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so Joseph was the only witness to the insanity that seemed to overtake her come every December. It was probably best that he get used to it early on, because she didn’t see it fading any time soon.

There was a knock on the door just as she added a final piece of tape to the third haphazardly-wrapped gift. Sighing, she hefted herself off the floor and went to see who it was standing outside her apartment.

“Hey,” Erin greeted cheerfully, holding up a bag of takeout from a local Italian place. “My brother has informed me he left you alone with that precious nephew of mine, so I’ve come to bribe you with food in exchange for baby cuddles.”

“Food will always gain you entrance into my home,” Eddie informed her sister-in-law seriously. “Come on in. I have to warn you, though, the baby’s asleep and our living room is a hot mess.”

“You have a baby who isn’t even a month old. I’d be more concerned if it wasn’t,” Erin informed her as she stepped inside. “Anything I can help with?” she offered as she squatted down next to the baby’s cradle.

“Not really,” Eddie sighed. “I’m just trying to get as much of the wrapping done as possible today so we can make the Midnight Mass tomorrow.”

“We could always go to the service earlier,” Erin suggested. “We all know what it’s like to have tiny babies in church. If it’d make it easier for you and Jamie...”

“Honestly, he’s usually awake at midnight anyway. He’s not really sleeping through the night yet. And it’s a family tradition, right? We need to start him getting used to it early so it’s not a fight every year.” Eddie smiled at her son as he began stirring beneath his blankets. “Hi, baby,” she cooed as she bent to scoop him up. “Auntie Erin’s here.”

“Hi, Jo-Jo,” Erin greeted as the baby was handed over. “Are you helping Mommy get ready for Christmas?” She ran her hand up and down the baby’s tiny back as she settled onto the sofa. “Okay, Eddie, put me to work,” she ordered. “I’ve had one kid of my own and helped out with two nephews - three now,” she tacked on, nodding down at Joseph. “Wrapping gifts while holding a baby is something I’m practically a professional at.”

“You’re a Reagan,” Eddie pointed out. “That means you’re pretty much a professional at everything.”

“That’s fair,” Erin replied. “Don’t forget, though, you’re a Reagan now, too.” She smirked when Eddie simply rolled her eyes. “Seriously, though, point me where you need me. Let me help. It would truly be my honor to sit on your living room floor and cuddle with this beautiful little boy. The only thing I have waiting for me at home is a full bottle of wine and several containers of takeout in need of reheating.”

“I thought Nicky was hanging out with you until Christmas,” Eddie commented confusedly as she settled onto the floor across from her sister-in-law, handing over a roll of tape when Erin gestured to it and thanking God she’d already gotten around to wrapping Erin’s gifts earlier in the evening.

“Ah, well, she was supposed to,” Erin replied as she expertly packaged one of Jack’s gifts. “But then Luke’s flight back to St. Louis got cancelled at the last minute, so, you know.” She shrugged. “I’m fine with it; I just wish I could’ve had some extra time with her. She lives in the same city as me, but I really only ever really see her at Sunday dinners.”

“That stinks,” Eddie sighed as she placed a gift tag atop the gift the prosecutor had just finished wrapping. “At least she’s still planning on spending Christmas Day with all of us. That’s a lot better than what I gave my parents straight out of college when it came to the holidays.”

“Oh, yeah?” Erin answered distractedly as she worked on the next gift in the pile. “What exactly is it that you put them through?”

“Oh, you know, nothing. I was a perfect angel.” Eddie chuckled quietly when her sister-in-law shot her an unimpressed look. “All right, that’s a lie. The first Christmas out of college, I went to Europe and spent the entirety of my break in France and Italy, drinking too much and generally bringing shame to the family name. I honestly have no idea if my mother has recovered from it.” Eddie smirked when Erin laughed quietly at that. “Second Christmas after graduation, I went to Mexico. Puerto Vallarta, to be exact. It was, like, eighty degrees on Christmas Day. I loved it.”

Erin smiled sadly at that. “I get that she’s growing up,” she tried to explain. “I’m _glad_ she’s growing up. I’m relieved she’s still willing to open herself up to people, especially after what happened with Nicholas right after she graduated. I just feel like I have no idea what she’s going through right now. I got married at twenty. When I was her age, I had a two-year-old running around the apartment. I got in all of my adventures very early on in life, and I forget sometimes that my kid didn’t do the same. There’s still a whole world out there for her to see, and she – she wants to see it. And I’m happy she wants to see it. She deserves to. I just don’t want ger to stop wanting to come home for Christmas, you know?”

Eddie sighed at that. “Yeah, I get it, but the situations are completely different. Your family isn’t horrible. I highly doubt anyone at the dinner table insulted Nicky for making it into Columbia, not Oxford.”

“Your mother?” Erin asked incredulously, shaking her head when Eddie nodded. “I hate to say it this time of year, but that woman seems truly vile.”

“She’s working on it.” Eddie smiled at Joseph as he shifted in his aunt’s arms. “I think I’m going to have to steal that one away from you. He’s not looking the happiest there.”

“Oh, no, he’s not,” Erin agreed. “Sorry we woke you up with our emotions, Joe,” she apologized softly.

“He’s used to it. I still cry at soup commercials,” Eddie admitted as she stood from her seat and carefully lifted her son from the other woman’s arms. “Let’s get you to bed now, huh?” She tucked him in, then returned to the living room without him ten minutes later. “Okay,” she sighed. “I’m going to help, but you have to tell your brother not to make fun of my wrapping skills.”

“Are you talking about Jamie or Danny?” Erin asked amusedly.

“Both of them,” Eddie replied seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The waiting-until-the-last-minute aspect of this story comes directly from my family traditions. We open gifts on Christmas Eve and typically don't finish wrapping them until, oh, about eleven o'clock on the twenty-fourth. Are there some flaws with the system? Yes. Are we going to change it? No. No, we are not.


End file.
